We welcome the statement of Lord Justice Goddard.

In June 2014 the Rt. Revd. Paul Butler Bishop of Durham, spoke in the House of Lords calling on the Government to establish an independent public inquiry.

In his speech Bishop Paul said: "I know it will take time and will be costly to undertake, and I know that for both those reasons it will be argued against. However, I firmly believe that the true cost of child abuse and the abuse of adults at risk is far higher than any of us have ever been prepared to acknowledge in terms of the mental, emotional, social and physical health and well-being of very large numbers of our population."

The Archbishop of Canterbury has requested that the church be one of the first institutions to be considered in the work of the inquiry. We await further details as to specific dates and welcome today's announcement that the work of the inquiry is to begin in the New Year.